AZ Lawmaker Says State's So Embarrassing, Her County May Secede

February 25, 2011 4:43 PM ET

Frank James

I pass this one along for your amusement.

After the Republican-controlled Arizona Senate passed a bill to let the state nullify any federal laws it didn't agree with (I know, I know. The senators did this despite the U.S. Constitution's "supremacy clause") a Democratic lawmaker said her county might need to secede for the sake of its dignity.

Sen. Lori Klein, R-Anthem, said the U.S. Constitution gives the federal government only limited powers.

"This gives our body the ability to look at Obamacare and some other things that actually will throw this state into the Third World country that we don't want to be,'' she said. Klein said federal mandates are "actually bankrupting with some of the laws that are being passed that I would deem to say are unconstitutional.''

Sen. Paula Aboud, D-Tucson, chose not to try to block SB 1433 which has strong Republican support, including that of Senate President Russell Pearce. Instead, she sought to amend it to say that the moment this law takes effect, the Pima County Board of Supervisors "may act to have the county secede from the jurisdiction of this state.''

Aboud said Pima County residents really do want to remain part of Arizona.

"But we don't want to be part of this state that continues to embarrass Arizona,'' she said. "The point is, our business community is hurting because of the reactions brought upon by this body.''